Our Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine Residency Program

Our residency program’s curriculum revolves around lab time, anatomy readings and didactic sessions. You’ll receive one-on-one time with attendings with ample opportunity for “hands over hands” and collaborative treatment experiences to build your osteopathic skills.

Additionally, although participation is not required, you are encouraged to explore research opportunities on the use of osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine, which we help facilitate. You’ll receive yearly training in research fundamentals from the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine research department, and you can choose to participate in a research project in place of one of your case presentations.

Here is an overview of the ONMM Residency Program curriculum:

PGY 1

• 1 month in inpatient medicine
• 1 month in ICU
• 1 month in surgery
• 1 month in trauma surgery
• 1 month in emergency medicine
• 1 month in pediatrics
• 1 month in family medicine (outpatient)
• 1 month in OB-GYN
• 2 months in osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine
• 1 month in orthopedics
• 1 month in neurology
• 1 month of vacation
• ½ day per week in a continuity clinic

PGY 2

• 3 two-week electives
• 11 two-week blocks on inpatient medical and surgical ONMM consult service
• 10 two-week blocks in the newborn nursery, postpartum unit and inpatient pediatric ONMM service
• 2 selective rotations with scheduling flexibility
• 1 month of vacation
• 5 days per week in a continuity clinic

PGY 3

• 3 two-week electives
• 11 two-week blocks on inpatient medical and surgical consult service
• 10 two-week blocks in the newborn nursery, postpartum unit and inpatient pediatric ONMM service
• 1 selective rotation with scheduling flexibility
• 1 month of vacation
• 5 days per week in a continuity clinic

You’ll spend four to five half days a week in continuity clinics, where you’ll see patients of all ages with a variety of conditions. Your responsibilities in the clinic include initial evaluation and treatment of patients, documentation using electronic medical reports, CPT coding, patient education and referral to appropriate specialists.

Five faculty members, each offering a unique perspective and approach to patient care, provide direct supervision. These faculty members have no other clinical or administrative responsibilities when supervising and seeing every patient with you. While you receive direct guidance and supervision, you’re also given the autonomy to develop and implement your own treatment plan, with increasing responsibility over time.

The SBH Health and Wellness Center is a unique initiative for our underserved population. It includes a gym, a rooftop garden with a classroom that teaches patients how to prepare healthy foods and follow healthy meal plans, and it houses our women’s and children’s outpatient services. Our clinic at the center is dedicated to antepartum, postpartum, pediatric and neonatal osteopathic care.

We perform consults based on requests from the primary care team and follow patients through their hospital course. We see patients in areas of the hospital including:

• General medicine
• General surgical
• ICU
• Neonatal ICU
• Neonates
• Obstetrics
• Orthopedics
• Pediatrics
• Trauma

You’ll conduct the consult and evaluation of the patient, after which the patient will be presented to an attending, who will review the case, discuss the osteopathic considerations and treatment plan, evaluate the patient, and perform the initial treatment.

Our didactic curriculum is broad in scope and collaborative in nature. We meet daily for lectures on anatomy, physiology, mechanics and osteopathic philosophy. We also host a bi-monthly journal club and weekly faculty led, hands on labs. In addition, you’ll participate in educational bedside rounds with the surgical and medical teams, and teaching rounds with the emergency medicine department.

Although faculty supervise most presentations within the department, residents lead the majority. We also offer weekly, faculty led ONMM labs. In addition, SBH ONMM Program Founder and Department Chair Hugh Ettlinger, DO, FAAO, presents teachings from his mentor, Anne Wales, DO, a student of William Sutherland, DO.

We incorporate scholarly activities into the curriculum. As a resident, you must prepare multiple patient case studies, which are presented and reviewed by other residents and attendings to help you understand and present significant clinical findings from an osteopathic perspective to the medical community and community at large. You’ll submit your cases yearly to national-, regional- and hospital-specific poster competitions, and you’ll participate in yearly quality improvement projects related to ONMM.

We have an agreement with the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine that allows our residents to rotate through their medical school. That means you’ll spend one day a week at the school for six months in both your second and third years of residency, as well as a half day in the school’s outpatient center. NYIT has a very different patient population and a variety of different attending physicians to work with, which broadens your clinical experience. It also has an anatomy dissection lab you can use if you choose and didactics you can attend if you wish.

In addition, NYIT has a dedicated research department that’s now equipped with a functional MRI. The department offers you, as an SBH resident, a yearly research course and continuing support for research design, projects, implementation and statistical analysis.

Selective rotations

Per ACGME guidelines, we offer selective rotations. Over the course of your three years of training, you can participate in an on-site rotation in orthopedics, neurology, podiatry and rheumatology. We also offer additional off-site opportunities in pain management and physical medicine/rehabilitation. Through the program, we actively foster new rotation opportunities in other specialties.

Elective time

You’re offered elective time as an opportunity to gain further training in other medical specialties where you have an interest. This is also a chance to gain further experience in manual medicine by rotating with specialists across the country. Three two-week elective slots are offered in each of your second and third years.

Other learning opportunities

We support you by helping you attend the annual American Academy of Osteopathy Convocation during your second and third years. We also send you to a 40-hour basic cranial course at least once during your three-year training. You may request additional time to attend other courses during your second and third years.

Our residency program benefits include:

• 20 days of paid vacation per year
• Up to four personal days a year
• Sick leave accrual (one day per month the first year, then 12 days per year)
• A $650 annual stipend
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• Salary commensurate with postgraduate year

All conditions of employment, including compensation and benefits, are negotiated with the Committee of Interns and Residents SEIU, which represents all interns, residents and fellows.

7-1-2024 Salary (6%):

• First year: $76,343
• Second year: $80,757
• Third year: $86,055

7-1-2025 Salary (5%):

• First year: $80,160
• Second year: $84,795
• Third year: $90,358

In addition, you will receive $1,500 toward registration, room and board, and travel for the annual American Academy of Osteopathy Convocation if you present a poster. We’ve also secured outside financial support, allowing you to take a cranial course with the Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation or with the Osteopathic Cranial Academy, and we strive to do this each year.

We evaluate each applicant individually and holistically, but we strongly recommend that interested applicants complete a two- to four-week rotation with us.

We accept applications through the ERAS process beginning in late August of each cycle through mid-December.

To start the program, you must graduate from an accredited osteopathic medical school and successfully complete the first two parts of your licensing exams. We strongly recommend also completing COMLEX-USA Level 1 and Level 2 prior to match.

In addition, we can now accept applications from graduates from allopathic training programs. You must demonstrate training in osteopathic manipulative medicine through rotations and/or coursework. We strongly recommend also completing Step 1 and 2 prior to match, as well as an audition rotation.

Apply through ERAS for our residency program.

For more information about our program, contact:

Lorenza Garcia
Residency Coordinator, ONMM Residency Program
SBH Health System
lgarcia@sbhny.org

Neil Khanna
Chief Resident, ONMM Residency Program
SBH Health System
nkhanna@sbhny.org

William Tedjo
Chief Resident, ONMM Residency Program
SBH Health System
wtedjo@sbhny.org